Science fiction, fantasy, and comic book reviews and commentary.
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Wednesday, 17 April 2013

The Blog Fantastic 004 - Dark Moon review

I've read a few David Gemmell books before, hisTroytrilogyandLegend,
the first of the Drenai series. I quite like him. His stories weren't filled
with magic; he seems to prefer writing in the military fantasy mode. It’s been
a few years since I last read a book of his but I don’t remember any other
fantasy creatures and races in his books.Legendwas a clean cut military fantasy novel
dealing primarily with a siege and the battles surrounding it. HisTroy trilogy, despite dealing
with the story fromThe Iliad,
didn’t deal with many creatures although there was a lot of talk about gods.
Again, all three books focuses on military campaigns and those involved with
the conflict. Whatever role magic played in those books, it was small. That’s
definitively not the case forDark
Moon.

Based on the books by Gemmell I have read, his writing
excels at fighting scenes and descriptions of violence. He’s also very good at
writing warriors and other characters who deal with war be they healers,
politician or other. Gemmell also has a good grasp on strategy which is an
important skill to have since all five books of his that I’ve read deal with a
military conflict of some sort. He’s also good at writing believable and
interesting characters without overwhelming the reader with unnecessary
information. His characterizations are quick and unburdened. In short, I’ve
read books by David Gemmell in the past and I’ve really enjoyed them. I have no
clue why I haven’t read more until now.

With Dark Moon Gemmell offers us a standalone fantasy
novel, something few people can and have written. It's understandable why, so
much world building goes into it that I can see why an author would like to
write a story set in a universe they create without it being a universe they
created from the ground up specifically for one story. The other problem with world
building seems to be that some others things more is better. More detail
translates into more books necessary to develop the world in the entirety of
the author's vision. Gemmell doesn't seem to care about the amount of detail in
Dark Moon. Instead he focuses on character and story. If the details of the
world he created aren't necessary to the story they're left out. However, the
elements he kept feel familiar her fresh.

The book starts during the seventh year of the War of the
Pearl. The Pearl is now in the hands of one of the four Dukes but the senseless
war continues to be waged. The Duke in possession of the Pearl, an artefact belonging
to one of the three Ancient Races, unknowingly unleashes an evil upon the world
which long ago had been imprisoned by the Eldarin. A war that was being fought
for greed and selfishness turns into a war for survival against the ferocious
Daroth. Gemmell leads us through the conflict from the point of view of several
interesting characters and all are profoundly affected by the situation taking
place in the land of the four Dukedoms. The novel is permiatted with a deep
sense of unknown and a possibility of change. Most of the characters are deeply
changed by the novels end. None of the character development is reached by
means of lazy storytelling, it’s all deserved.

Gemmell begins his book by introducing fascinating
character with Tarantio and Dace who are two souls sharing a body, or at least
that’s how it seems. The story only begins to solidify dozens and dozens of
pages later. The author makes it clear that well developed characters will be a
defining element of the novel. Tarantio’s unique relationship with Dace completely
enthralled me as did the relationship of other characters later on in the book.
Karis, the independent field commander, was particularly enjoyable to read
about it. She has difficulty interacting with other people but in no way was
this harmful to her development in the book.

The Complexity of War inDark Moon:

One of the best things aboutDark Moonis Gemmell’s meditation on war. It’s
absolutely fascinating and it’s a subject he writes about with clarity and
ease. By focusing his writing on characters and story, Gemmell is able to
display various points of view and philosophies of war through most of the
characters in the books. Very few of them share an opinion of war; a clear
indication that war is as sensitive an issue in this fictional world as in our
very own.

War is a complex issue and simple solutions rarely exist.
Gemmell is clearly aware of this and he doesn't attempt to simplify the issue.
Tarantio, although he doesn't like war nor approves of it, is opposed to
Duvodas's peaceful philosophy. Like the golden skinned Oltor of old, Duvidas
refuses to fight. To do so is to go against one’s nature according to Tarantio.
He disapproves of war but also disapproves the total absence of fighting. Does
Tarantio only believe in fighting for certain causes? Perhaps it's acceptable
to fight for the defence of something important such as your beliefs or your
way of life? If that is true could there be such a thing as a justifiable war?
Tarantio's disapproval of the War of the Pearl is not reflected in his
acceptance of the necessity of the war with the Daroth which is quite literally
a war for the survival of the human race. Gemmell's decision not to simplify
war and to discuss it intelligently with his reader is appreciated and it’s one
of the book's strengths.

Gemmell seems to be indicating that war is a foolish undertaking by grown men
who are really just children. The reasons for going to war are rarely, if ever,
good reasons. He judges these decisions based on the negative outcomes that
come with armed battle. Take a look at his main protagonist. Tarantio is a peaceful
man. More often than not, he's engaging in combat in self-defence or in the
protection of someone else. Yes, he is a warrior and he's paid for waging war
but he takes no pleasure in it. When you consider Dace, he's very much the opposite.
He relishes the feeling of killing someone, often time playing with his prey.
Violence is the air he breaths and blood the water that sustains him. He's
animalistic in his ways and it shows through his action and his desire for
violence. Like and animal or a child he bases his actions on his instinct and
his desires. By characterizing Dace in this way, Gemmell is also informing us
of the type of people who engage in armed conflict. They too are children in
adult bodies, waging war out of greed and pettiness. Tarantio mentions at one
point that if he war ever ends his wants to become a scholar and by doing so he
can benefit the world.

Albreck, the Duke of Corduin also feels like war is an exercise in futility. He
is forced however to leave one war in order to engage in another. This second
war, the war with the Daroth, is one for survival. This doesn't erase the fact
that it is still a war, violence, loss and death abound but what else can be
done? With the warring dukes, there remains a chance, however so slight, that
peace can be brought on by negotiations. No such hope exists with the Daroth
who are but a nightmare brought to life.

Gemmell makes us think of war and without necessarily a great
deal of effort convinces us of that it’s a horrible thing. He then forces is to
assist a new war in which none of the characters had much if any hope to
survive. It’s a bit cruel but it helps to deepen our appreciation of the price
the people must pay in order to obtain peace in a situation where military
conflict is inevitable. Two options are given, fight or die. It seems clear
what most people who choose to do but that’s not the case for every character
in the book.

Gemmell doesn't limit his commentary on war to the senseless violence and
death. He also deals with it from an economic and political point of view. The
Duke of Corduin is as preoccupied keeping the city at peace than he is worrying
about the Daroth. The city faced a hard winter with alarmingly low food rations
to go around. As food stores emptied, the prices of food items rose accordingly
and without much time passing by many city dwellers were on the verge of
famine. Albreck did not stand idly by; he took it upon himself to buy all the
available food so that it can be shared evenly with the populace thus avoiding
much conflict amongst those who are starving. But suspending private trade did
not solve all the city's problems. One of the other unsavoury aspects of war is
that there will always be someone who tries to profit from the situation. The
merchant Lunder in this case, sold food at already high prices but under delivered
every order under the false pretences of not having enough food in his
warehouses to properly fill the order. His defrauding of the city led to
unnecessary additional suffering for the sole reason of personal prosperity and
wealth. What's even more despicable is that Lunder was already a very
successful merchant before the threat of war and famine were at Corduin's
doors.

War, even senseless war, is almost continuously allowed to exist in this
pseudo-medieval setting because there is a constant supply and demand for
mercenaries and soldiers for hire. Tarantio has fought with and against several
other characters in the book. Not because he will fight anybody but because
nearly all available soldiers do it for the money regardless of how little they
receive. Tarantio is far from the only character to fight for money. To them,
it’s a way of life. What could these people do without a battle to fight? How do
you make a living when the only thing you know how to do is fight and kill?
Again, Gemmell asks difficult questions but he doesn’t provide easy answers.

The World ofDark
Moon:

The most expansive element of world building in Dark Moon is the three Ancient races of
the Eldarin, the Oltor and the Daroth. Little is known of the Oltor. They have
golden skill, are adamant pacifists and healers. The Eldarin are furry skinned
(like a rabbit’s fur) individuals who are the primary wielder of magic. They
also despise violence and refuse to use force even in self-defence. The Daroth,
unlike the Eldarin and the Oltor, live for violence. They are unable to
socialize with others because any interactions with others lead to conflict.
The Ancient races provide the mythological backbone to the story being told but
the focus is squarely placed on the human characters and their problems.
Gemmell also uses the Oltor and the Eldarin as a counterbalance to the pro war
arguments and characters. He also uses them to included environmental messages
in the book.

The map of the land is very simple if somewhat loose in
its definition. The book has no map for the reader and we’re forced to use our
imagination guided by Gemmell’s descriptions. Here’s the gist of it: there is a
sea to the West and a vast desert to the North. Below the desert there are two
Dukedoms in relatively close proximity separated by a small mountain range and
forests. Below that there is yet another mountain range, this one more expansive
than the first. There are two more Dukedoms somewhere in the south. That’s
about all the information given to us and to be quite honest it’s plentiful. Although
it can be very interesting and pleasant to read, overly detailed worlds are not
a necessity in fantasy fiction and Gemmell proves it well with Dark Moon.

Magic inDark
Moon:

When starting to readDark
MoonI was looking forward to
stepping away from dragons and magic for a while. It turns out; if that’s your
intention you probably shouldn’t readDark
Moon. Sure, it there are no dragons, but magic and other fantasy creatures
are well at home in this standalone novel.

Magic is related to and is part of nature. It emanates
from it and is a quality of it. Sorcerers will use objects and creatures found
in nature to power their magic. Healers and other magikers (Gemmell’s term)
also use natural objects with magical properties to allow them to wield magic.
When Brune gets his eye fix, Aldrin uses a coral stone to power the healing.
Having no inner magic, Aldrin’s ability relies in using the magic already
present in an object. Without it he is but a common man.

Duvodas grew up among the Eldarin and for that reason he
is in tune with the magic of the land. Duvodas is more sensitive to magic and
the changes of the land than most other men and for this reason he notices the
change in magic when entering a city where the walls and foundations disrupt
the flow of magic just like they disrupt the natural elements. We can read from
this that the Eldarin society is close to nature much like elves are in most
fantasy books. This is one of the ways that Gemmell while creating something
new, the Eldarin race, makes it feel familiar. You could criticize Gemmell for
creating something that isn't very different from a staple race of the fantasy
genre but I won't. He could have easily use elves in his story and modified
them even less without garnering any criticism for that choice. The fact that
he chose to work harder and to create new elements for his book in order to
make the world of Dark Moon unique is
admirable.

Sorcery exists in opposition to magic in Dark
Moon. It's something more attuned to what we consider magic in the real
world. Potions made of rare and exotic ingredients, strange incantations, human
sacrifices and other such things. It's not a natural force of the world
harnessed through the mind and body, its most about using the strange and dark
things that exist in the world in ways that produce effects not intended for
those items. It's a malevolent activity that generally destroys instead of create,
that sickens instead of heals. Magic can also be an advanced for of
meditation where the user puts himself in a trance and can travel the land in
spirit form. It requires concentration and the user must fight the urge to
return to the body.

I wanted to take a moment to comment on the cover. I like
the cover. Initially I wasn't blown away but my appreciation for it has continued to increase. The artist is John Bolton. I've mostly seen his work in comics but he also does painting and other stuff. Neil Gaiman wrote and directed a short film about him. Look at Tarantio. He looks
awesome. The colour of Karis’s face is odd but it looks deliberate. Covers
specifically and art in general are one of the reasons I like fantasy. We've
all seen a cover that sucked us right in and made us want to buy or read the
book. I can think of a few times this has happened and I'm sure it will happen
again in the future. I'll have to keep that in mind and make a post of my
favourite fantasy novel covers of books I've read and books I haven't read.

One biggest disappointment with the book is the ending.
My complaint is in two parts. The first part is that the ending felt sudden.
Gemmell spends roughly a third of the book preparing for the conflict with the
Daroth and the conflict itself last roughly 50 pages. Sure, those fifty pages
where great, but it felt slight considering what preceded it. The second part
is that Gemmell spends the entire book demonstrating the complexity of war only
to end his book in all too clear cut a fashion. The resolution was too sudden
but it was also to clean. It’s unfortunate that Gemmell wasn’t able to stick
the landing as well as I would have hope. Had he done so, I would recommendDark Moonto anyone, readers of fantasy or
otherwise. As it stands,Dark
Moonis an excellent book but
if you’re looking for detailed world building à la Robert Jordan, this might
not be the book for you. It’s harsh, it’s violent and it’s uncompromising in
its portrayal of war and those who take part in it. If you’ve enjoyed previous
Gemmell books, I don’t know how you could go wrong by givingDark Moona try.

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Welcome to my blog. I like to write about comics, books, movies and more. Feel free to comment and share you thoughts. If you'd like me to review a comic or if you're interested in an interview, send me an e-mail at mario.jf.lebel@gmail.com.